New Delhi: Women across West Bengal, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities will hit the streets today midnight as a mark of protest against the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
A campaign titled ‘Women, Reclaim the Night’ is being run on social media urging people from all walks of life to participate in the midnight protest scheduled to be organised ahead of the 78th Independence Day. Several slogans such as “Justice for RG Kar”, “The Night is Ours”, “Reclaim the Night”, “Meyera Raat er Dhokhol Koro (Women seize the night)”, “Swadhinotar Modhyoraatey, Nari Swadhinotar Jonyo (At the midnight hour of Independence, for women’s liberation)” were also being circulated on WhatsApp.
In West Bengal, the protest described as, “For women’s independence on the midnight of independence” will be held in different areas of Kolkata and other districts including North 24-Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Burdwan, Birbhum, Malda, Raiganj.
TMC MP to hold dharna in support of midnight protest
Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said that he would hold a dharna in solidarity with the midnight protest. “Today I will sit on an individual dharna from 5 PM to 9 PM to register my protest and express my solidarity with women who will hit the streets tonight,” he told PTI. He further said that he will not be able to join the midnight protest due to his age.
Last night, the TMC MP had said in a post that he would join the midnight protest over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor as he has a daughter and a granddaughter. “I am going to join the protesters particularly because I’ve a daughter and a little granddaughter like millions of Bengali families. We must rise to the occasion. Enough of cruelty against women. Let’s resist together. Come what may,” he had posted on X.
Midnight protest in Delhi, Mumbai too
Similar protests have also been planned in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. While in Delhi, the midnight protest will be held in Chittaranjan Park, gatherings will take place in front of Infinity Mall in Mumbai’s Andheri West. Similar protest will be held at three locations in Bengaluru — Silk Board Junction (near 500D bus stop), Phoenix Market City (near Whitefield Main Gate), Forum Mall in Koramangala.
The protest comes amid widespread agitation by doctors across the country over the RG Kar rape and murder case. The alleged rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run hospital in Kolkata has sent a shockwave across the country. The semi-nude body of the doctor was found in the seminar hall of the hospital last Friday. The Kolkata police have arrested a civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, in connection with the case.
